Evil Angels
by Kilrez
Summary: Smooth adj Lacking obstructions or difficulties… A story of crime, romance, little brown dogs, pheromones, shopping, invasions of personal privacy, animal xrays, assumed kidnappings, very small shared hiding places, sibling rivalry… and riddle
1. That doggie in the window

**Evil Angels**

* * *

'So, like I said, this should all go pretty smoothly. We're just going to wait in the docks for a few days- long enough for our client to make contact and maybe to look for another job on the side if possible. No one's to make a fuss, or draw attention to themselves, but apart from that, you're all free to roam the town unless I got use for you… Inara, you got work here lined up?'

'I'll be gone as soon as we touch down.' She replied.

Mal nodded once then turned and headed out of the kitchen where he had been giving the debriefing, up to the bridge to see how Wash was doing bringing them into Greenleaf.

'Can I get _Serenity _a new cooler coil?' Kaylee yelled after him.

'We can't afford it Kaylee' he called back without stopping. The little mechanic sighed, then brightened. Even without the desired part, a few days on land looked filled with dazzling promise.

A few minutes later the ramp to the cargo bay opened, thudding softly onto the dusty pavement of the Greenleaf docks. They were in the planet's main trading port, having agreed over the cortex to meet a potentially well-paying client here.

Everyone apart from Wash (who had drawn the short straw to stay with the ship), Zoe and Mal, scattered down the ramp and disappeared into the crowds, headed out on various errands of their own. Jayne's birthday would be falling sometime on their next trip, so it wasn't hard to guess the general aim of the crew. 'Smooth, ya hear me!' Mal called to their retreating backs. He watched them go with a bemused look on his face then turned to his first mate. 'Shall we?'

She nodded, kissed her husband goodbye, then strode after Mal. They would be seeing what much needed supplies and parts could be bartered for on Greenleaf.

**O0o0O**

Mal was in a reasonably good mood, as he usually was when everything was going well. He has crossed paths with a few of the crew around the market place, and no one had gotten in to any trouble yet. Also, most of the things he had wanted were now spread out between the back pack his first mate was carrying and the sack slung across his shoulders. Yep, it had been a good day… until, of course-

'Sir, I think we're being followed'

Mal spun round, quickly scanning the bustling market square that they were just exiting. There were people everywhere, but no one looked overly suspicious. Well, anymore suspicious than people buying illegal goods usually did. 'Where?' he asked after a moment, continuing to scan the area.

'Down there sir.'

Mal directed his gaze downwards. A small brown terrier sat back on its haunches, cocked its head on one side and looked hopefully up at him with its tongue lolling out its mouth. 'It's a dog Zoe' he stated, deciding that perhaps it was time to insist on some shore leave for his second in command.

'It's been following us for a little while now.'

Mal sighed, shaking his head and deciding it wiser not to reply. Hefting the bulge of the sack a little higher on his back, he turned back in the direction of _Serenity_ and began to walk. The corner of Zoe's mouth twitched upwards for a moment as the dog stood again and trotted after the captain, its head held high in a strikingly similar way. Looking forward to the amusement that would ensue when the captain tried to deny his new canine admirer, Zoe continued after the two.

Unfortunately for the captain, Kaylee returned at the same time as them.

'Hey cap, hey Zoe...' then she saw the little scrap of brown fur sitting at Mal's feet. 'Where'd you get the doggie?' asked the mechanic, instantly dumping her bag full of parts and crouching down to pat it.

'It followed me' replied Mal coldly, the words _we're not keeping it_ hanging in the air.

Kaylee pretended to ignore the captain's tone of voice and began to baby talk to the dog. It rolled over so she could pat its stomach. Watching this spectacle, Mal rolled his eyes. Zoe smiled and walked past them both, into the cargo bay. Shaking his head, the captain followed after her. The dog immediately scrambled to its feet and followed after him. Kaylee grinned, but Mal heard its claws ticking on the deck plate and stopped.

'No' he said, partly addressing the dog, partly addressing Kaylee, 'no dogs on the ship.

'But Mal…' pouted Kaylee, giving him puppy eyes to match that of the dog at his feet.

'No' he repeated turning and stomping up the stairs. Tiny footsteps followed him. Kaylee and Zoe watched on with amusement as he put the sack down, turned, and, backing the dog against the wire railing, picked it up. 'C'mon captain. What's wrong with a ship's pet?' wheedled Kaylee as he strode back down the stairs, carrying the dog before him, who wiggled in his arms and tried to lick his face.

'Not on my ship' said Mal firmly, and, putting the dog down outside, he shut the door on it. There was the sound of quiet whining and a few half-hearted scratches, then silence. The captain headed back into the interior of the ship, stopping only to pick up his sack of purchases. Kaylee looked crest-fallen, but Zoe continued to smile, sensing that this was not over yet.

She was right.

As twilight on Greenleaf began to set in, Simon, Book and River returned. Mal was stowing some of the shopping in the mess when he heard the clang of the cargo bay door shutting. He continued doing what he was doing, knowing that whoever it was would probably make their way up to the mess soon enough. Moments later a small brown dog bounded into the room and bounced excitedly around him, as if to say 'found you!'

Mal frowned and stopped what he was doing, watching the antics of the exuberant little dog. Three sets of foot steps also entered the mess, and the captain looked up to aim an accusing glare at Book, River and Simon who had just returned from their tour of interesting Greenleaf monuments.

'He was sitting outside and dashed in when we opened the door. It seems he came running straight up here.' Explained Book.

'He's a nice looking little dog.' Commented Simon, bending down in a similar way to Kaylee. The dog bounded over to him to be patted, wagging its tail.

'Can we keep him?' Asked River, managing to say the right thing for the right place and time for once. Mal clenched his jaw. 'No, we are not keeping it. No animals on the ship.'

'What about those cows you took to Jiangyn?'

'They were cargo, that's different.'

'He does seem very attached to you' pointed out the shepherd.

'I can't blame it with my stunning good looks. Nevertheless…' as he said so, Mal scooped up the dog from where it was having it's ears scratched by Simon and headed back down to the cargo bay. River danced after him, spouting possible names for the thing.

'We're not naming it, because we're not keeping it.' The captain told her firmly as the entered the cargo bay, where both Zoe and Kaylee happened to be. 'Hey, it's the dog' exclaimed Kaylee happily, straightening and intercepting the captain's course so she could pat it. Mal didn't stop or acknowledge her, just kept walking and dumped the dog back outside. Ignoring the looks aimed at him from the three women, he returned to the mess to finish his task.

Jayne returned not five minutes later, and was preceded by a wiggling, licking terrier that came and found Mal right away.

'Hey Mal, there was this dog that came in here when I… oh, you found him.' The last part came as Jayne stepped into the mess and saw Mal glaring daggers at a grinning dog.

The whole of the crew and passengers were in the mess this time, and as the captain advanced upon the dog, there was a hail of protests.

'Look, I'm the captain on this ship, and I say he goes.'

'A good captain knows when to listen to his crew-'

'-and when not to. No Dogs.'

'He'll be no trouble.'

'We'll look after him.'

'Look how cute he is.'

There was a pause as Mal was assaulted from all sides by pleading looks. He rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. 'He can stay until we leave port, since no one seems to be able to keep him out. But if I find any dog _go se_ anywhere it shouldn't be…'

'Yes cap'n' agreed Kaylee quickly, grinning. Mal frowned, still not liking the idea of a dog on his ship.

**

* * *

**

O0o0O

Michael Rime leaned back in his chair, taking off his headphones and smiling. Things were going well indeed. The final conflict over the dog had occurred just a few minutes ago, and it appeared that the captain wouldn't be able to put his foot down hard enough to convince his crew not to keep the animal.

His brother Gabriel sauntered into the surveillance room, his well tailored clothes in contrast to Michael's own simpler, oil stained garb.

The brothers were almost complete opposites, yet their personalities crossed in their love for swindling people, and so they worked together, albeit reluctantly. Michael set up the tech that Gabriel needed to get the upper edge in the negotiations. Negotiations that he held over fancy dinners or other expensive settings to put the often simple or relatively poor targets off balance. It was a system that worked, and both of the brothers were happy with their places in it, yet at the same time were disdainful of the other's lifestyle.

'Have they accepted the bug yet?' asked the richly dressed Gabriel, flicking his long blond plait back over his shoulder.

'Just like I planned. Should only be a matter of time before some one mentions something that we can hold over the captain's head. Every ship has its secrets.' Michael didn't turn around as he replied, using the pretence of adjusting the surveillance dials to keep from having to talk face to face with his brother.

'I still think it's superfluous,' (facing the dials, Michael silently mimicked the use of the word 'superfluous'), 'we'll have the companion as a bargaining chip, and rumour has it that this Reynolds character is very loyal to his crew. He'll give us a good deal to save her skin.'

'Did it perhaps occur to you that you might not be a good enough lure for a companion? They choose their own clients you know.'

'I wouldn't worry yourself dear brother, she's already agreed to come.' So saying, Gabriel stalked out of the room, brushing imaginary dirt off his clothes as he went. Michael made a face at the dials.

* * *

End Chapter One 


	2. Cramped quaters

Chapter Two

* * *

All was well on _Serenity_. Everyone had returned to the ship by the late afternoon, stowing their purchases from the market and exchanging the gossip they had collected on world, although Kaylee whinged about how much a cooling coil would reduce engine wear. Jayne was cleaning his guns in the kitchen and the shepherd worked around him as continued the job of restocking the kitchen. Mal seemed to be holding a staring contest with the dog. Wash was up with Kaylee on the bridge, finally having found time to teach her to hack on the cortex like he had promised a few weeks back. 

'So, I'll show you an example first. What should I find out?' the pilot asked the mechanic, thoroughly enjoying having and audience and showing off slightly.

'Um, gee, I dunno. How about our new client?'

'OK. What was his name again?'

'Hang on a second.' Kaylee clattered down the stairs to the kitchen, smiling at the sight of the captain boring holes in the dog, which was staring back with equal immovability. Snagging a rasher of bacon off the shepherd as he walked past, she waved it to get the dog's attention, thus breaking the staring match and getting the captain's attention.

'Something you wanted?' Asked Mal, pursing his lips slightly as Kaylee tossed the bit of meat to the dog, who caught it expertly. She grinned at him. 'It's nothing much captain. Wash and me were just trying to remember what out client was called'

'Gabriel Rime… why?' Mal was suddenly suspicious. 'Don't worry.' She replied lightly, skipping back up to the bridge. The captain stared after her then dismissed it from his mind and turned his gaze once more onto the dog. The dog innocently returned his stare, all signs that the bacon had ever existed gone.

In the bridge, Wash had received the name from Kaylee and was working on recovering the man's secrets. The mechanic watched attentively.

'Well, he's a crime lord. That wasn't expected.'

Kaylee giggled. 'Isn't he more of a "partner in crime" lord?'

'Huh?'

'It says there that he has a brother.'

'That it does… Michael Rime. Their parents musta bin religious or something.' Wash looked over to Kaylee for agreement and noticed that she had suddenly become very still.

'What's…?' Wash didn't get any further for there was a commotion from the kitchen. They both stood and hurried down to see what was going on.

'It beeped!' Mal was repeating, pointing an accusing finger at the dog.

'Mal, you're getting paranoid.' Jayne didn't look up as he snapped the parts of a pistol back together.

'Captain, I'm not sure-'

Mal ignored both the mercenary and the preacher and backed the dog into a corner so he could pick it up. 'Where's Simon?'

'In the infirmary, same as always. What are you doing Mal?' Asked Wash, but was ignored like the others as the captain turned his back and headed down the stairs in the aft corridor.

The crew of _Serenity_ could never resist a good scene- it was like a sort of street theatre- so the entire crew were very quickly assembled around the infirmary, either peering through the windows or in the room itself.

Seeing Mal insist that the dog was x-rayed to a sceptical Simon was well worth any tongue lashings they would receive later for not doing what ever they were supposed to be doing. Once that happened though, patronising smiles fell from faces.

'What is it?' asked the doctor, staring at the clearly mechanical implant under the dog's skin, silhouetted in white on the x-ray. Mal had his arms crossed over his chest and was looking grim, although with almost undetectable traces of smugness in there.

'A bug I'd say. What do you reckon Zoe?'

'Ten-D-Oh Toser it looks like.'

The dog looked innocently from face to face, still sitting on the exam table. Mal glanced down at it and realised that a bug meant someone was listening to the current conversation. He motioned with his head for everyone to leave the infirmary. He exited last, closing the doors just as the dog jumped down off the table to follow him. The crew were all stationed around the passenger lounge, waiting to see what the captain's next course of action would be.

'Any thoughts on who would want to be listening to us?'

'Niska?' Ventured Simon.

'No, he's more for the full frontal method of attack.'

There was a few moments silence, then Kaylee remembered what had hit her up in the bridge. 'Um, cap'n…?' her tone was hesitant, alerting Mal to the fact that whatever it was, it was probably bad. He nodded at her, asking her to continue.

'It could just be a coincidence, but Inara mentioned that her client was 'angelic in name only.' Our client's name is Gabriel. And if he was the one that planted the bug, then it could be that he was trying to cheat in the negotiations for the cargo.'

Mal's face went blank for a second as he contemplated the implications, then he abruptly strode up and out into the cargo bay.

'Where you goin'?' Jayne called after him.

'To warn Inara. Make sure the dog doesn't follow me.' The last words were shouted back, as his footsteps faded.

There were a few moments of silence, then Kaylee spoke. 'What I don't get, is how they got it to follow him' she pondered.

'Pheromones' replied River abruptly, 'probably splashed onto the victim's clothing.'

'Huh?' queried Jayne.

'Uh, like something that smells good to a dog. Like the scent a bitch gives off when she's in heat,' Simon translated.

There was another long pause as everyone thought about this, then everyone firmly agreed that the captain would not be allowed to find out that he probably smelled like a damn sexy female dog.

**O0o0O**

Mal hurried through the streets of Greenleaf as the sun finally sunk below the horizon. Local night life began to appear but Mal ignored it as he tried to remember the way to the place that Gabriel had specified for the negotiations. He was already half way there when he remembered that he hadn't told Zoe where it was yet. Pausing for a moment in indecision, he shook it off and continued, determined that nothing should happen to Inara.

The security for the mansion was low, and Mal had no trouble sneaking inside. Once inside was where he ran into trouble. He had no idea where Inara would be. Thankfully it appeared that Gabriel wasn't home yet, so the captain opted for the time tried method of just going from room to room.

He found her in a large entertaining room, studying the picture traced out by a holographic tapestry that projected down one of the walls. Just at that moment, Gabriel returned home, apparently with friends in tow.

As the voices got closer, Mal ran out of options, so, quickly seizing the companion by the upper arm, he pulled her through the holographic tapestry into the small alcove behind it. She let out a muffled yelp, as he had entered the room quietly and she had not been aware of his presence. In order to keep from being dropped by the self-defence that Mal knew companions were taught, he pulled her flush against him, wrapping one arm around her chest and the other across her stomach, binding her arms. With her back to him, she couldn't see who it was, but evidently figured it out as her struggles quickly stopped. Then, in the most annoyed tone he had ever heard Inara use, she said 'Mal?'

'Shh' he warned her, setting the volume at which they could safely speak. He loosened his hold on her slightly, releasing her arms, but did not let go. She shifted against him, silently protesting the contact.

'What the hell is going on? What are you doing here?' Her ire was actually rising, but to the captain's relief, she did lower her voice.

'We found out some stuff on your client that doesn't bode too well. Figured out you weren't safe here.'

'I screen all my clients carefully' she told him, her tone icy. At that moment the voices that had been getting closer broke into the room. Mal couldn't see through the hologram, but by the sounds of it, there were at least six men now talking and joking coarsely in the room. Both he and Inara fell silent to listen, so they both clearly heard what came next.

'Damn, I'd hoped that I'd managed to fool the whore into coming here. Then maybe we all could've had some fun with her.' This was followed by rough laugher, and Mal swore he actually felt Inara go pale in his arms.

'You probably weren't good enough for her high whore standards Gabriel.' More laughter.

'Nah, guess that Reynolds fella is smarter than I gave him credit for. Don't matter though, we'll just have to cut a deal the old fashioned way- without a hostage as a bargaining chip. In the meantime gentlemen, please, sit. Murphy, would you care to deal? I'll get the drinks.'

Conversation began to flow, as well as the sounds of the six men settling down at the card table in the middle of the room. After a few long moments of silence behind the holographic picture, Inara finally seemed to break out of her shock. 'How did you know?' She asked tremulously.

'It's a long story' replied Mal, 'but it does look like we'll be here a while. So-' he told her how they had discovered that both their clients shared a name, Wash's hacking exploits, and the bugged dog that had been following him around.

She was silent for a long time after the story finished, and they both remained still, listening with half an ear to the background conversation of the card game. Mal was becoming horribly distracted by how warm Inara's back was against his chest. She had begun to lean against him. Time stretched on.

'Are they going to keep this up all night?' the companion asked finally, exasperation in her whisper.

'Huh?' asked Mal, as he blinked out of the haze in his head and as his brain filled him in on what she had just said, 'oh, um, probably,' he replied, 'luckily you learn how to sleep standing up in the army.'

'Well some of us aren't so lucky.'

'I gotcha. You ain't gonna fall over.'

'Thanks.' Her tone was dry, but Inara snuggled back against him and Mal had to bite his tongue to keep from letting out a groan. This had to be the special hell that the preacher was talking about. She leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder, and the smell of her hair spoke very directly to parts of him that weren't allowed in daylight. He sighed. It looked to be a long night.

**O0o0O**

Eventually the crew of _Serenity_ had given up waiting for the captain and begun dinner, reasoning that planning always happened better on full stomachs. In a hopeful way, a plate of food for him had been covered and left to one side.

Once everyone had served themselves and began tucking in, the conversation immediately turned to what they should do about their missing captain.

'He didn't say how long he'd be. They're probably fine'

'That as may be so Kaylee, but I think we'd all feel happier if there was no "probably".'

'So what are we going to do?' asked Jayne looking around the table.

'Did he say where he was going?' asked Simon, always taking the rational course of thought.

'Nope, and there isn't anything on the cortex either' replied Wash, looking glum. He had spent quite a while trawling all the corners of the electronic data base, looking for more information on the Rimes. The more he had found out, the more worried he had become, and yet nothing useful had materialised.

'We have the rendezvous point for the goods pick up tomorrow afternoon though,' pointed out Book.

'That ain't much help until tomorrow afternoon preacher,' Zoe told him.

'It's all we have at the moment. It might prove useful.'

'He does have a point.' Kaylee chipped in.

Zoe nodded. 'OK, Jayne, Wash and me will go and see if we can find anything out. Maintain coms silence unless we break it. We'll call you when we get there, and we shouldn't take more than an hour. If we're longer than that…'

'We'll figure out what to do then.' Simon assured her.

Zoe nodded again and scooped the last morsel of food into her mouth before standing. Wash and Jayne had already finished. They filed out of the kitchen, leaving silence in their wake.

**O0o0O**

Inara allowed her breathing to become even and shallow, mimicking sleep. It wasn't a skill as useful as being able to sleep standing up perhaps, but it had come in handy in her years as a companion. Her companion training also allowed her to recognise the choppy breathing of arousal from behind her. It was good to know the captain wasn't entirely made of ice.

But then, she wasn't immune herself. His hot breath brushed over her neck, raising chills on her spine and his arms felt strong and secure around her. She hadn't felt this way in an embrace since before she had enrolled as a companion. And no doubt, this sort of thing wasn't allowed, not without payment exchanging hands first. But a little voice in her head argued that she had a perfectly reasonable excuse and nothing was actually happening.

_Yeah, right _said another, slightly more sarcastic voice in her head. She chose to ignore the second voice.

It was very difficult to tell time in the incomplete darkness behind the holographic tapestry and the voices in the room faded into a continuous murmur. Inara relaxed even more into the captain's embrace, and his breathing didn't settle down any. She was just drifting off in to sleep for real when a thought occurred to her that snapped her back to full wakefulness. Yawning quietly and shifting against him, she feigned waking up from a feigned sleep. Even later, she was never sure if she imagined the small catch in his breath.

'What if the crew do the thing they did with Niska?' murmured Inara, her desire for the man behind her actually working in her advantage for once, to make her voice sound blurred and sleepy.

'Hnh?' came the incredibly articulate reply. Inara smiled and lifted her head away from Mal's shoulder, hoping it would break him out of his daze a little. 'What if the crew get worried about why you're gone so long and come bursting in here with guns?' She repeated.

'Oh, um….no, actually I think we're safe on that score. None of them know where I went looking for you and I hadn't told Zoe yet where we were going to negotiate.'

'What if you had needed back up?' demanded Inara quietly yet irately, her mind quickly gifting her with all sorts of situations in which Mal could have gotten himself killed.

'I assumed it would be as simple as coming and telling you that your client wasn't such a nice man. I didn't plan on this happening.'

_No, you never **do** plan things like this to happen,_ thought Inara. Out loud she said; 'How did **you **know where this place was?'

'I was just going to cut the deal here in the morning. When that was sorted out, there was a rendezvous point out of town for us to pick up the goods. That's probably where they'll start looking'

'Will they find anything there?'

'Depends on whether this slime's brother is out there setting traps.' A thought occurred to Mal and he snorted softly in amusement. 'What?' asked Inara.

'Nothing really. It would just be kind of ironic if we were the ones that ended up with a hostage as a bargaining chip.'

'You mean if the crew captured the brother?'

'Yeah. Unfortunately, he'd probably then tell them about Gabriel's mansion and they'd come busting in here with guns.

As though the captain's words held some kind of special power, on cue, the crew burst in with guns. Behind the holographic picture, Mal buried his face in the back of Inara's neck to hide his smile.

'That was very precognisant of you.' Inara too sounded amused.

'Yes, I've been taking notes from River' replied the captain, lifting his head again. It sounded like the impetus of the crew's attack had failed upon discovering a perfectly innocent card game. Sighing, he released Inara for the first time in many hours and reached down between them to retrieve his gun from its holster.

Realising that they would have to reveal themselves, Inara quickly smoothed down her clothes and composed her features, then waited for Mal's command to step through the holographic tapestry that concealed them.

It was given a second later, although the companion heard the reluctance that dogged it.

Blinking in the sudden light, they emerged into the room.

* * *

End Chapter 2 


	3. Pay back

Chapter 3 

The rendezvous point had turned out to be a highly secure warehouse complete with high, barbed wire fences and growling black dogs with orange eye brows. At a loss for the next course of action, Zoe, Jayne and Wash had returned to the ship.

There had ensued several hours of fruitless waiting. No one had any ideas, so they had all just sat, except for Simon, who went about the task of surgically removing the bug from the dog. Eventually Kaylee meandered down to watch. Out of unspoken agreement, they remained silent so as not to provide their unseen listeners with any ammunition.

The little device was sitting to one side as Simon sewed the dog up when Kaylee had an idea and dropped the bug into the hand-rinsing basin so they could talk. 'How long will it take him to wake up from the anaesthetic?' she asked the doctor, not quite daring to hope just yet.

'About an hour. He'll still be a little bit groggy for a while after that though. Why?'

'Because we might be able to use him to track the captain.'

'Of course. I'm so stupid.' Simon risked a glance through his lashes at the mechanic. She smiled coyly at him and sidled closer. 'I wouldn't say that,' replied Kaylee, 'no one else on this boat would have been able to get that bug out of poor Rover.' Simon blushed at the praise. 'I, uh…' he held up his hands in explanation, which were covered in dog blood from the surgery. Kaylee couldn't help but grin at this, and in reply held up her own grease covered hands. Working on _Serenity _was her way of keeping from stressing about the captain.

Simon took one of her hands in his own and led her over to the basin where they washed the blood and oil off each other's hands, before going up stairs to tell everyone else about Kaylee's idea.

So when the dog woke up, and after a few false starts, everyone save for River and Simon trooped out to go and 'rescue' the captain and Inara.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O0o0O----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

So here they all were facing off against a rich looking ponce, without a very good explanation why. After all, they couldn't prove that the bug had belonged to Gabriel, and the captain and Inara weren't exactly tied up in the corner awaiting rescue.

'Pray tell dear lady, what is the reason behind this intrusion?'

Zoe ground her teeth at being addressed as 'dear lady.' They had just entered the room, with her in the lead. Luckily, no one had their weapons actually loaded and aimed, but they were still well in evidence. Two of the in-house security force flanked the invaders, having been unable to stop them at the door.

'We have reason to believe that our captain is in this house somewhere.'

'And why would you think that? I certainly have not seen him.'

'That doesn't mean he's not here.' Replied Zoe coldly. Gabriel spread his hands in front of him in a gesture of innocence. 'I would allow you to search for him, but I'm afraid it would be fruitless. My security system is excellent, and no one could have gotten inside without my knowledge.'

Zoe paused for a second, uncertain. The dog had still been a little woozy when he had led them here. If he had been wrong, and she insisted on searching, the man could get them all locked up for trespassing. She was also aware of the steady stares of the five other men that had remained seated at the card table. Witnesses, who could easily identify them all and testify against them.

'I apologise for interrupting your evening then' said Zoe evenly, preparing to back out of the situation. The beginnings of protests emanated from behind her, which were suddenly and unexpectedly eclipsed by a loud and semi-jovial voice.

'Don't think I've ever heard you apologise for anything Zoe, so don't start it with this scum.' To her credit, the first mate managed to keep a totally impassive expression as both Mal and Inara were suddenly there in the room, looking unharmed, and if anything, amused.

'Just trying not to get us all arrested sir,' she replied, noting that Gabriel looked just as surprised as she felt. There was also a definite mix of annoyance on his face.

'Captain Reynolds. It appears I am wrong after all.'

'Indeed you are, Gabriel Rime.' Mal's expression had rapidly become less jovial as he turned to address the blond haired man. 'On several counts. Firstly and most importantly is that I don't like being extorted. You cut a deal with me, you cut it the good old fashioned way, without hostages, or insider information.'

'I could accuse you of the same charges Mr Reynolds. Spying on private conversations between friends is a distinct breach of my rights.' He indicated the men, who, thankfully, looked more interested in the interruption than angry about a breach of their rights.

'I came here merely to warn my crew member of her imminent kidnapping. We hid not with the thought of spying on you, but only of our own safety.'

_Although we soon enough turned to other thoughts, _commented a very quiet voice in Inara's head. She kept her face carefully blank, then decided that that was too suspicious and put traces of icy righteous anger in there. This had nothing to do with the fact that she knew Mal thought she looked sexier when she was angry.

'But you will admit to the charge of kidnapping?' demanded Gabriel. Mal blinked, but then realised that Gabriel had come to the same conjecture as the two behind the holographic tapestry, about the origin of crew's knowledge of the location of Gabriel's mansion.

'Once again it is justified. My crew needed to know where I was.' Gabriel could find no immediate fault with this explanation so he and Mal both paused for a moment to lock glares. Book chose to break in.

'Perhaps, captain, we could overlook wrongs on both sides to proceed to a mutually beneficial business deal.'

Mal shot a brief glare at the shepherd, but turned back to Gabriel with a questioning look. The man nodded, finally letting reason enter his thoughts.

'Perhaps you could step this way Mr Reynolds. I have a room in which we may concentrate more completely on the negotiations.'

'Lead the way' replied the captain.

Gabriel looked about to protest when both Zoe and Jayne followed Mal, but he had already been shown up with all his other machinations, and kept his peace.

The rest of the crew were left to stand uneasily in the middle of the card room, under the piercing gazes of two guards and five card players. Kaylee pursed her lips for a moment then an idea struck her. 'Hey, while we wait, would you guys mind going a round of cards with us?'

The five men looked at each other, whole possibilities for swindling opening up in front of them. 'Sure, why not?' the spokesmen offered innocently, shuffling his seat to one side so the new players could join the table.

At the negotiation table, things had taken an unexpected turn. The starting price as named by Gabriel was five times what Mal had been about to ask for. Now Mal was attempting to bargain normally, as though he wasn't blinded by the giant dollar signs in his eyes. He was also trying to hide his suspicions about a far dodgier cargo than he had counted on, but his mother's philosophy had always been, 'get the money first, and then sort it out.'

Somehow he closed the deal without tipping his hand, and reached across the table to seal it with a handshake. Gabriel clasped his hand with a weak and insipid grasp, the satisfaction of a good deal seeming obscene on his face.

As Mal returned to pick up the rest of his crew, he may have noticed the disgruntled looks on the faces of Gabriel's mates, but he was still thinking of all the money too much to notice it. Inara helped Kaylee sweep the (gambled and won) platinum into their collective pockets, and they all stood up to follow their captain.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O0o0O-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

'Captain-' started Zoe, worry in her tone.

'Not a word 'till we're out of here Zoe,' he warned his first mate as they strode towards the exit of Gabriel's mansion.

'Yes sir' she replied, biting her tongue. When they broke the night air, she let loose her worries about their being something weird about the cargo. 'It's the only reason he would have paid us so well.'

'Not the only reason.' Came a voice from the darkness. They all jumped as Michael un-blended himself from the shadows in the lee of the mansion.

Recognising him from the pictures off the cortex, the crew acted instinctively, the fighters moving to the front to surround the man, with Kaylee, Inara and Wash moved to stand in the protection behind them.

Mal spoke out of the side of his mouth to his first mate in a stage whisper. 'I thought you had this guy in custody.'

'Been meaning to tell you sir. Mike here wasn't at the warehouse. We used the dog to track you.'

'Dog?' mouthed Inara to Kaylee. 'Tell you later' replied the mechanic, equally quietly.

'I was meant to be at the warehouse,' volunteered "Mike" helpfully.

'What do you want?' asked Mal bluntly. Michael raised his chin, but did not take offence at the captain's tone.

'I just wanna say that I won't tell if you don't.' Mal decided he liked this man far more than his pompous brother. His hair was restrained to more a practical haircut; no long plait, and his clothes were simple and covered in evidence of real work.

'Tell what?'

'Well I won't tell Gabby' (Mal managed not to blink at the nickname, but Wash sniggered) 'that I recommended him way too high a market price on transport for contraband goods, if you don't tell him that I made the bug in the dog beep. And no one's to mention that I never tole you lot where his bloody mansion is.'

Upon hearing this tirade, Mal relaxed a little. 'Why are you working against your brother?' asked Jayne in confusion.

'Because he's an ass. Thinks he's better than me cos he's likes fancy clothes.'

Mal at that point had to restrain himself very hard from turning and staring pointedly at Inara, although he could feel her thoughtful gaze on the back of his neck. Instead he grinned, and extended a hand to shake with Michael. The man returned the grin, and his handshake was solid and genuine. They parted ways with the wayward brother and headed back to _Serenity, _the crewwith the comforting feel of money in their pockets, and Michael with the warm feeling of finally having got one up on his annoying brother.

End Chapter 3 


	4. Epilogue

Epilogue

authour's note: koi, my errors in punctuation surrounding speech aren't a matter of lack of proof reading. I never really learnt what the proper way to handle it all was, and the word spell checker is a poor substitute. Thanks for bringing it to my attention; I'll look into it.

* * *

Apart from a few brief stops on the way home, for celebratory coca, a dog collar and a cooling coil, the crew had headed straight back to _Serenity's_ mess. Everyone was carefully avoiding the point about Inara and Mal's recent closeness. Instead, Inara regaled them all with a tale of Kaylee's gambling prowess, and in return, Zoe informed them **just** how much money they would make for this run.

'You mean all that fuss, and they were going to pay more than you were going to ask them for anyway?'

'You keep your mouth closed to Gabby about that preacher when we pick up the cargo tomorrow by the way' warned Mal, taking a sip out of his mug and enjoying the taste of real chocolate.

'Do not worry. I operate on a policy of "what the ears do not hear, the heart does not grieve over".'

'Like how we're not telling the captain about how-' started River.

'Hush River' Simon interrupted her, trying to pretend it was just another crazy outburst. Mal didn't buy it. 'What's this?' he asked River, while the rest of the crew made frantic motions to her over his head. She ignored them.

'The dog follows you because you smell like a bitch in heat' she told him plainly. Mal's expression was worthy of a portrait by Leonardo da Vinci.

Trying to divert the conversation, Inara chose this moment to speak up. 'Doesn't he have a name yet? You all just keep on calling him "dog".'

''s a perfectly good name for a dog. Avoids confusion.' Replied Jayne.

'Nah, 'Nara's right. I can't believe we haven't named him yet.' Countered Kaylee, grinning in anticipation of christening the dog. Once it was named, it was a part of the crew, no matter what it did.

'Well that's great. You lot all sit here and think of a name. I'm just gonna go and… shower. Possibly change my clothes.' Mal backed out of the mess, and the dog made to follow him, but Zoe quickly grabbed a hold of its freshly bought collar so it couldn't. Jayne moved to take over the captain's still half-full coca mug.

'I think he looks like a Scraps,' offered Simon.

'That's a stupid name. I still don't see what's wrong with Dog.'

'Jayne, be nice. How about God? It's an anagram for dog.' That was Kaylee.

'Although I am aware that it would amuse the captain, I feel I must protest on that score.' That was the Shepherd. Kaylee pouted, but accepted this.

'Beethoven' said River.

'It's a nice name, but it could be a little weird naming a dog after a centuries dead composer' replied Inara.

'Why? They like to dig up bones don't they?' No one graced Jayne with an answer.

'How about T-Rex? We could shorten it to Rex.' Wash took any opportunity to flaunt his knowledge of dinosaurs.

'Do you know that means King in ancient Latin?' Simon couldn't resist a history lesson.

'Wow. Even better.'

'We could call him ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Kerberos, after the dog that guards the gate of hell.'

'That's not very cheery preacher.'

'You haven't made a suggestion yet Zoe' prompted Kaylee. The first mate raised an eye brow. 'How about Rover?' she offered.

'I love my wife,' said Wash fondly, 'her good looks, her humour, not to mention her stunning imagination.' He was punched softly on the arm, but nevertheless dramatically acted as though it were a mortal wound.

'I like Gaspode as a name.' Decided Kaylee out loud.

'Why?' asked Jayne rudely.

'Because it's better than simply naming him after his species… ape.' Simon defended Kaylee, not missing the chance to get a dig in at the big mercenary.

'Call him Sarah, so Jayne won't feel so insecure and alone.' Piped in River.

'What'd I warn you 'bout that girl's name business?' Jayne growled threateningly, feeling he was under attack somewhat.

The room fell to silence. Everyone had their ideas on what the dog should be named, but none quite fitted, or seemed appropriate to the situation. Looking around them all, Inara had an idea.

'It was the Rime brothers that sent him to us, yes? So why not name him related to that. Rhyme and… Riddle.'

'Riddle' said Kaylee, testing it out. The dog in question pricked his ears.

'It'll do' conceded Jayne grumpily, voicing the feelings of the rest of the crew.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O0o0O-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

'Kaylee!'

In answer to the captain's cry that resounded through the ship, Kaylee hurriedly dropped the spanner she was using to install a new cooling coil, as bought with gambling winnings, and dashed down to the cargo bay. Mal was helping Jayne stow cargo. 'Yes captain?' She asked innocently, panting slightly.

'Why is this rutting dog still following me around? I've changed my clothes and had a wash, so the smell should be gone.'

'I guess Riddle just likes you sir.'

'Hmpf' growled Mal grumpily, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

The End


End file.
